Lennox Lewis vs David Tua

Lennox Lewis retained the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation heavyweight championships by outpointing David Tua over 12 rounds at the Mandalay Bay Events Centre in Las Vegas on November 11, 2000. Lewis, aged 35, weighed 249 pounds and entered with a record of 37 victories, one defeat and one draw. Tua, nearly 28, weighed 245 pounds and brought a record of 37 wins and one loss, with 32 victories inside the distance. The challenger was ranked first by both the WBC and IBF and had earned his position through wins over several leading heavyweights, including John Ruiz, Oleg Maskaev and Hasim Rahman. Lewis was a 3–1 favourite and received a reported purse of $8.5 million, while Tua was guaranteed $3.5 million. A large body of support had travelled from New Zealand and Samoa to watch the challenger’s first world-title contest.

The principal question before the fight was whether Tua could move inside Lewis’s jab and land the left hook that had brought him most of his important victories. Lewis held advantages in height, reach and mobility, and from the opening bell, he made full use of them. He stood upright behind a long left jab, circling away from Tua’s left hand and refusing to remain at close range. Tua pressed forward but had difficulty closing the distance. His movement was direct and deliberate, and Lewis repeatedly touched him with the jab before stepping away. The champion also brought the right hand into play early, although Tua took the punches without showing distress.

Lewis was warned by referee Joe Cortez for a low left hook in the second round. Tua finished the round with a left-right combination and attempted to increase his pressure in the third, when he had some of his better moments. He reached Lewis with the left hook on occasion and forced the champion to move more urgently, but he was unable to land the punch with full leverage. Lewis remained cautious, using the lead hand to measure the distance and tying Tua up whenever the challenger succeeded in getting close.

By the fourth and fifth rounds, Lewis had settled into complete control of the pace. His jab continued to strike Tua’s face and prevented the challenger from setting his feet. A hard right hand in the fifth was followed by a jab and another right, and blood began to appear from Tua’s nose. The challenger’s output, never high, declined further. Tua later said that he had aggravated a pre-existing rib injury during the contest, although the extent to which it affected his performance was uncertain. What was clear was that he became increasingly reluctant to throw combinations and relied almost entirely upon single left hooks.

There was a short delay before the sixth round while a turnbuckle in Tua’s corner was repaired. When the action resumed, Tua landed two solid left hooks and briefly forced Lewis backwards. The champion absorbed the punches without serious difficulty and returned immediately to the jab. Lewis did not seek an exchange when movement and distance were serving him so well. He stepped around Tua, struck with straight punches and held whenever the challenger moved inside. Tua continued to advance but rarely arrived in a position to punch.

The pattern remained unchanged through the seventh, eighth and ninth rounds. Lewis accumulated points with the jab and occasional right hand, while Tua followed him around the ring without cutting off his escape. The crowd began to show impatience in the ninth, but the champion did not depart from his plan. He landed a sharp left that sent perspiration from Tua’s head and then moved away before the challenger could respond. Tua’s face had begun to swell, particularly around the left cheek, and his failure to increase his pace left him well behind on the cards.

Tua entered the tenth requiring a knockout, but Lewis produced one of his strongest rounds. Two heavy right hands jolted the challenger, and Lewis added straight combinations before moving out of range. Tua remained durable and continued forward, but his attacks lacked variety and urgency. In the eleventh, Lewis began sitting down more firmly on his right hand and appeared at times to be looking for a stoppage. Tua, however, remained upright and continued to absorb the champion’s punches without being knocked down.

Lewis completed the final round in the same disciplined manner. He jabbed, moved and struck with the right hand whenever Tua followed too squarely. The challenger’s left cheek was marked and bloodied, but he continued pressing until the final bell. He had never stopped trying to reach the champion, although persistence alone could not compensate for the lack of effective punches. Lewis had denied him the range he required and had never allowed the contest to become the close, physical affair Tua needed.

All three judges returned wide scores for Lewis. Dave Moretti scored the contest 119–109, Chuck Giampa 118–110 and Jerry Roth 117–111. The Associated Press also had Lewis ahead by 119–109. The champion landed 300 of 674 punches, while Tua connected with 110 of 413. Lewis had controlled the contest with the left jab, movement and accurate right hands, and the verdict was beyond dispute.

The performance was not dramatic, but it was effective. Lewis had faced the most dangerous left hook in the heavyweight division and removed it from the fight by controlling distance and refusing unnecessary exchanges. Tua’s strength and durability carried him through the 12 rounds, but he was unable to impose himself upon the champion. Lewis retained his position as the leading heavyweight of the period by a clear and professional decision.